Professional Documents
Culture Documents
TLMP Training The Trainer Manual
TLMP Training The Trainer Manual
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Foreword
Acknowledgements
Introduction
Establishing Confidence
11
14
Facilitating Discussion
17
Evaluation
20
21
Reflective Supervision
21
Appendices
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FOREWORD
The professional development of classroom teachers is a primary goal of Ghana Education
Service (GES), USAID, and Chicago State University (CSU), partners in the Teaching Learning
Materials Program (TLMP). Each member of the partnership believes that well trained
education professionals such as trainers are an essential element of achieving good learning
outcomes for Ghanas children.
Ghanas millennium vision for the future included the education of all its children, including
the KGI and KGII population. Parents eagerly embraced this vision by sending their children to
school in great numbers. This in turn created a need for well informed, well prepared, and
well-trained professionals. This Train-the-Trainer Manual addresses the need for
professionally designed trainings that enhance, extend, and build the capacity of the GES to
train a cadre of competent and well-trained mentor/trainers.
The purpose of the Train-the-Trainer Manual is to provide mentor/trainers with competencies
that will enable them to effectively mentor, facilitate knowledge acquisition, application, and
skills in use of the TLMP Teachers Guides and Childrens Workbooks designed and created as
instructional materials for use in KGI through P3 classrooms.
As mentors you will work with a novice or beginning trainer in order to help them become
successful. More than likely, as a new mentor/trainer you will be assigned to teach others,
and in this capacity you will serve in the role of a teacher, leader, guide, sponsor, and role
model for others. Generally, the mentor/trainers work with the new trainer during his or her
first year of training.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Chicago State University would like to acknowledge all partners in the effort to provide
educational experiences to the children of Ghana. USAID-Washington, the Ghana Mission, and
the Ghana Education Services/Curriculum Research Development Division (GES/CRDD) have
played significant roles in providing needed resources and resource persons. These resources
have enabled a coordinated effort to create Teacher and Learning Materials (TLMs), to provide
support for trainers, and to distribute the TLMs throughout the nation of Ghana.
INTRODUCTION
The Role of Trainers in Mentoring Adult Learners
TOTs must view themselves as facilitators of learning, and as resources as opposed to simple
conveyors of knowledge and information. This perspective enables the trainer to assist
trainees in thinking deeply about knowledge acquired about TLMP Teachers Guides and
Childrens workbooks, and their appropriate application (when and how). And, in doing so the
trainer must support a growth process that includes the following behaviors (Brookfield 1986):
Establishing a climate conducive to learning.
Using adult learning principles in planning how and what they will learn.
Encouraging learners to formulate their own learning objectives.
Encouraging learners to identify and utilize a variety of resources to accomplish
their objectives.
Assisting adult learners in evaluating their own learning.
Whether you formally or informally mentor adult learners, adequate preparation is essential.
This manual describes the TOTss journey, provides signposts to navigate the four phases of
the journey, and raises reflection questions to encourage more critically reflective training
practice.
The Mentoring Process
The mentoring process involves knowledge acquisition, application, and reflective supervision.
Mentoring is best described as a reciprocal and collaborative learning relationship between
two or more individuals who share mutual responsibility and accountability for helping a
mentee (novice trainer) work toward achieving clear and mutually defined learning goals.
Successful mentoring rests on building and maintaining a relationship of trust. This means that
in addition to the learning, the relationship is cultivated throughout the mentoring
partnership.
A number of these guidelines are taken from the Alameda County Public Health Department
1.
Acquisition of
Knowledge
MENTORING PROCESS
Adult
Learning
Establish a trusting
relationship
3.
2.
Reflective
Supervision
Application
__________________________________________________________________________________
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Adults respond best to learning when they are internally motivated to learn.
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Establishing Confidence
Much of what is communicated during training is through the professional behavior of
you, the TOT. A TOT is confident in both her/his words and her/his body language will
be more effective in persuading the adult learner to trust and adopt the instructional
materials (i.e., TLMP Teachers Guides and Childrens Workbooks), and suggested
learning applications and approaches. This section covers two important ways to
enhance your performance as a confident trainer.
Demonstrating your Credibility
Minimizing Your Stage Fright
HINT: Remember, for all of these steps, its not just what you say, it is how you say it:
stand up straight, speak with a big voice, and resist preaching.
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12
HINT: Dont, apologize for your nervousness or mistakes; just keep moving through the
material. Apologizing can call the audiences attention to something they didnt even
notice.
Re-frame. Harness your nervous energy and turn it into enthusiasm.
Resist imitation anothers style. Be natural and relaxed. Use your
style.
Know your first line and the transition to the main point.
Memorizing the introduction to the TLMP training manuals can lower
anxiety and help you begin with confidence.
Concentrate on the message, not yourself. Focus on what you are
there to do. Engage the future trainers in the material, not on you.
Rest up and eat well. Being on your feet for several hours can be
mentally and emotionally exhausting, so you will need to get plenty of
rest. You will need to eat well so that you are physically and
psychologically alert.
Some of these guidelines are taken from the Alameda County Public Health Department (www.acphd.org)
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TOTs have the opportunity to set the tone for the training. This is important as one of the key principles of
adult learning is establishing a climate conductive to learning. This section covers the following areas that will
help you establish an open and honest learning environment:
Greeting
Ice Breakers
Management and Rules
Teaching Strategies
Greeting
A persons first impression of the training can shape her or his whole experience. This is why it
is important to complete setting up before participants arrive, this way you will be able to
greet the adult learners as they enter the room.
Introduce yourself
Allow adults to help themselves to any refreshments there might be
Ask adults to print their own name tags
Ask adults to sign the class list
This strategy will be familiar as classroom teachers Greet children as they arrive to the
classroom. This simple gesture sets a positive psychological tone to the classroom and enables
the children to begin a day feeling secure, welcome and ready for a days study and work. The
same is true for the adult learner; they also benefit from a positive climate that is conducive
for learning; it helps to establish the trusting relationship so critical to the process of
learning.
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Teaching Strategies
Strategies for promoting effective learning outcomes in a mentoring relationship are
consistent with those used to facilitate learning in young children:
Asks questions. Questions can open a learning conversation or shut it down.
Review statements. By rephrasing what you have heard, you clarify your own
understanding and encourage the adult learner to hear what it is she or he has stated.
Foster discussion. Discussion extends learning and introduces other perspectives. It allows
for reciprocity between learner and learner, and learner and trainer.
Listen reflectively. This provides an opportunity to process information introduced by the
future trainer. Active listening skills are essential for effective discussion facilitation. It builds
understanding and consensus in a group. Active listening skills include: encouraging,
paraphrasing, clarifying, reflecting, summarizing, and validating
Provide consistent feedback. Candid and compassionate feedback can be a powerful
stimulus for learning. It addresses the adult learners need for immediate application.
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Facilitating Discussion
Trainings that are interactive tend to be more effective than lectures because the ADLs
involvement and experiences are actually a part of the learning process. Actively engaged
participants are more likely to retain, recall, and remember information about the content of
the TLMP Teachers Guides and Childrens Workbooks. The likelihood of the information being
transferred outside the training session is great. And, this is the ultimate goal/outcome of the
Train-the-Trainer sessions. However, leading an active training can be challenging; it requires
the development of four key facilitation skills: Facilitating vs. Directing, Asking questions,
Answering Questions, Facilitating Discussion
Asking Questions
It is the TOTss responsibility to pose stimulating and intriguing questions or topics for
discussion. Discussion is a teaching strategy that helps learners to think deeply about
information, to make answer queries, and to assimilate information into already existing
knowledge. Below are some tips for asking questions that yield powerful responses.
Use open-ended questions that encourage answers beyond yes or no. Close-ended
question: Do you like the TLMP training manuals? Open-ended question: Which of the TLMP
training manuals is the most teacher friendly?
Use think back questions. Ask the ADLs to remember their previous experiences/past
instead of imagining a hypothetical situation.
Ask clear and concise questions. Make sure your questions only cover one topic or issue at a
time.
Responding to Incorrect answers. Do not shut down a person who gave an incorrect
answer. This may freeze the discussion. To reduce the possibility of embarrassment,
acknowledge the effort and then redirect the question to the whole group. For example, you
might respond, Interesting. I can see how you might come up with that idea.
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Answering Questions
As a trainer, one of the most common questions you will ask of adult learners is, Does anyone
have any questions? If, in response, you think the group can answer, redirect them to the
group to encourage active learning for as we know one of the key principles of andragogy
(adult learning) is that adults learn best when they are involved in diagnosing, planning,
implementing, and evaluating their own learning.
Youre asked a question that you cant answer. Dont be defensive or fake it, just say you
dont know, but ask if others in the group might have an answer. If no one does, simply say
youll research it and get back to them later.
Youre asked a difficult question. Break the question down into manageable parts and keep
your answer precise without omitting key details.
Youre asked a question you dont want to answer. Be honest and say so. Offer to meet with
the person after the session to provide your response.
Facilitating Discussion
Adult learners have a need to have their voice heard; they have a reservoir of experiences that
serve as a primary learning resource which enables them to contribute to and join in rich
discussions on topics presented. The skilled TOT trainer recognizes this fact and builds on
contributions made by the adult learners in her workshop. There are various types of
discussion types the TOT trainer should keep in mind.
Discussion dominators. If someone is doing most of the talking it may prevent others from
contributing their thought. Although it may seem intimidating, it can be very easy to reduce
the amount of sharing coming from one participant.
- Wait for a pause in her speaking, respectfully acknowledge her contributions, and thank
her. You can say something like, I appreciate your comments and ideas.
- Then make direct contact with other participants and ask something like, I know
someone else has good ideas too, Im very interested in hearing how other people are feeling
about this issue or Its very interesting to get a variety of perspectives especially since we are
from different regions, I would think we can all benefit from the variety in this room.
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No Response. Many group facilitators have stood before a group that simply stares. Groups
vary in responses. Even questions that stimulated the most interesting discussions with one
can fall completely flat with another. It could be that people are tire of talking about the
topics, or they might be bored with the questions and need more stimulating activities to help
them think.
Interpersonal Conflict. If two or more people begin arguing you must confront the situation
before it spirals out of control. You can try to defuse it with humor, or give the participants an
easy way out by reframing what they are saying and move on.
Evaluation
It is important to provide closure in order to ensure participants leave feeling positive.
Information provided can be used to guide and inform future trainings.
Evaluating the training session is essential to getting feedback from participants on the
effectiveness of the training. It is not only beneficial for the TOT, who can use the feedback to
improve subsequent trainings; it is a good chance for future trainers to express their thoughts
so that they feel their voice is heard. Some guidelines for a successful assessment include:
Review key ideas covered during session. This approach aids in clarifying key ideas discussed
during the session.
Written feedback. This can be accomplished through the completion of a written evaluation
form which should include a section on constructive feedback related to the current training
session.
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Reflective Supervision
Reflective Supervision (RS) is a collaborative relationship for professional growth that improves
instructional quality and strengthens teaching practices and skills (Shahmoon-Shanok, 2009).
It is an important companion to the training and observation components of this manual.
Reflective Supervision builds the capacity of all involved: TOTs, novice trainers, classroom
teachers, and program administrators.
The overall aim of RS in the GES system is to improve the instructional delivery of TLMP
curricula and thereby increase the quality of learning for students throughout Ghanas public
school system. Adoption of RS by TOTs accomplishes this goal by building the overall capacity
of the GES system, and strengthening the professional competence of trainers.
The nature of the relationship between TOTs and the novice trainer should be a secure and
trusting relationship. The TOT sets the tone for the developing reflective supervisory
relationship. The TOTs instructional delivery of the TLMPs provide the basis for the reflective
conversation
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Supervision and oversight of the adult learners application of the TLMP Teachers Guides and
Childrens Workbook is an essential component of the mentoring process. It is the process by
which future trainees begin to think critically about their learning experiences: workshop
instruction and training application. By looking back they are encouraged to examine both the
good and bad to determine what has been gained, lost, or achieved. In this process
conclusions are drawn about future actions such as modification up or down on teaching
techniques or instructional delivery, and future trainings.
Benefits and outcomes of RS include: improved instruction, deeper understanding of subject
matter, improved ability to engage in higher-level skills, and a growing sense of ones own
capacities.
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APPENDICES
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Appendix A
Ice Breakers
Silent Interviews
Divide the group into pairs try to mix the group into pairs of folks who dont know each other well.
Ask the participants to introduce themselves to their partner.
Instruct the groups that from this point forward, speaking is not allowed (including whispering, mouthing words,
and making sounds)
Inform the group that they must tell their partner 3 things about themselves without speaking, similar to a
charades games. These things cannot be physical characteristics.
Once all of the partners have finished miming to each other, call everyone back into a circle
Ask for each pair to verbally introduce their partner to the group, as well as the three things they learned (or
think they learned).
Observe whats missing
Divide the group into pairs each person should take a close look at what other person is
wearing.
Ask pair to place backs to each other, then remove two items.
Ask each member of pair to face each other, then describe what is missing.
Whos Who Survey
Provide a list of questions to participants (e.g., Who was born in Accra? Who speaks four different
Languages? Who has traveled outside of Ghana?). Each participant should see how many persons
they can find that match the questions, and prepare to introduce them
find on the list within a 5 minute time span. Each person is asked to introduce persons on their list
pair should have their backs touching.
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Appendix B
Evaluation Sheet for Training of Trainer Sessions
Date _________________
Participant Evaluation
Strongly Disagree
Disagree
Neutral
Agree
Strongly Agree
_____
_____
_____
_____
_____
_____
The facilitator modeled relevant teaching strategies such as modeling and discussion.
_____
_____
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Appendix C
Reflective Supervision Form
Trainer _________________________ Location ________________________Supervisor_____________
5 The trainers performance demonstrates excellent progress, consistently beyond basic competence.
4 The trainers performance demonstrates very good progress.
3 The trainers performance demonstrates competence and meets the basic expectations.
2 The trainers performance demonstrates some progress, but requires improvement.
Observation 1
Observation 2
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Observation 3
Attachment D
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Jean Murphy is a full professor of education at Chicago State University, Chicago Illinois where
she teaches courses in Reading and Language Arts, Childrens Literature, and Student
Teaching. She has been a trainer for a number of social service organizations presenting at
local, state and national conferences throughout the United States. She presented at the 2008
CCRD/GES Training-the Trainer Workshop held in Koforidua, Ghana West Africa. Her research
interests include Factors the influence the academic achievement of African-American
primary and elementary age children, and Transference: how novice teachers transfer
professional knowledge to classroom instruction. She has had a number of articles published
related to these same subjects. Dr. Murphy is a member of the TLMP team that helped to
create the TLMP Teachers Guides and Childrens Workbooks for KGI through P3 levels.
Carol Carson-Warner is executive director of the TLMP-Ghana at Chicago State University,
Chicago, Illinois where she has been an effective administrator of educational programs for
over 28 years. As an adjunct faculty in the College of Education she teaches courses in the
Technology and Education Department. She has trained teachers, counselors and tutors in
non-school settings, and has presented at numerous conferences from local to international
venues. In May 2011, she presented at the Comparative International Education Society
conference in Montreal, Canada. She has facilitated the impact assessment on the Textbooks
and Learning Materials Program-Ghana and the full version of the report can be found at
www.csu.edu/tlmp. Under her leadership the 12 TLMP titles for Kindergarten 1 and 2, which
include Literacy, Numeracy, and Environmental Science workbooks and teachers guides were
revised and reprinted for distribution on a national level. In addition, 18 titles are being
prepared for Primary 1- 3 pupils and teachers in the areas of Literacy, Numeracy and Natural
Science. For national coverage in excess of 6 million units will need to be printed.
A special thanks to Ms. Nicole Ford and Mr. Mohamed Jalloh, Chicago State University College
of Education, doctoral candidates for their contributions and editorial comments.
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Bibliography
Ross-Gordon, J. (2001). Contemporary viewpoints on teaching adults effectively. San Francisco:, CA. JosseyBass, 2001.
Shahmoon-Shanok (2009). What is reflective supervision? In S. Scott Heller, & L. Gilkerson (Eds.) A practical
guide to reflective supervision (pp. 7-23). Washington, DC: Zero to Three.
Knowles, M.S. (1980). The Modern practice of adult education: From pedagogy to andragogy. (Rev. and
Updated.). River Grove, Ill: Follet.
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